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Publication Number
US-12220274-B2
Publication Date
2025-02-11
Expiration Date
Abstract
This invention relates to a method of radiography of an organ of a patient, comprising: first vertical scanning and said second vertical scanning being performed synchronously, wherein a computed correction is processed on both first and second raw images, on at least part of patient scanned height, for at least overweight or obese patients, so as to reduce, between first and second corrected images, cross-scattering existing between said first and second raw images, and wherein said computed correction processing on both said first and second raw images comprises: a step (32, 33, 34) of making a patient specific modeling, using as patient specific data therefore at least both first and second raw images, preferably mainly both first and second raw images, more preferably only both first and second raw images, a step (34, 35) of determining a patient specific representation of radiation scattering by said patient specific modeling, a step (36) of processing said patient specific radiation scattering representation on both said first and second raw images so as to get said first and second corrected images.
Core Innovation
The invention relates to a method of radiography of an organ of a patient in which a first vertical scanning and a second vertical scanning are performed synchronously using a first radiation source with a first detector to make a first two-dimensional raw image and a second radiation source with a second detector to make a second two-dimensional raw image. The first and second raw images view the organ according to different angles of incidence. The invention processes a computed correction on both raw images to obtain first and second corrected images on at least part of patient scanned height for at least overweight or obese patients, with the purpose of reducing cross-scattering between the first and second corrected images that exists between the first and second raw images.
The computed correction processing comprises making a patient specific modeling using patient specific data including at least one of both first and second raw images, mainly both first and second raw images, or only both first and second raw images. From the patient specific modeling, the method determines a patient specific representation of radiation scattering by the patient specific modeling, and then processes the patient specific radiation scattering representation on both first and second raw images to obtain the corrected images. The patient specific modeling is used to reduce cross-scattering by modeling the radiation scattering and applying a computed correction to both views.
In some embodiments, cross-scattering is further reduced by performing the synchronous scans with a vertical gap between the first source and the first detector and the second source and the second detector, such that the first vertical scanning and the second vertical scanning are performed synchronously but with a time shift in between. Further processing options include computing a corrected image by scatter cancellation based on patient-specific inverse matrices, including scattering cancellation using a patient specific inverse matrix derived from a nearest ellipse or a linear combination of nearest ellipses from a predetermined family of ellipses and a predetermined database of matrices. Additional refinements include height-localized correction and dividing the raw images into height sub-images with under-sampled patient-specific modeling, followed by over-sampling and recombining corrected sub-images, and alternatively a scatter cancellation based on subtracting a scattered-only estimate from a raw image.
Claims Coverage
Independent claim clm-00001 covers synchronous stereo vertical scanning radiography of an organ for overweight or obese patients with computed, patient-specific scatter correction applied to both raw images to reduce cross-scattering, based on patient-specific radiation scattering modeling and optionally further reduced by a vertical gap/time shift. Total inventive features explicitly reflected in the provided claim set include eight distinct inventive features.
Synchronous paired vertical scanning with cross-scattering reduction for overweight or obese patients
A method performing a first vertical scanning and a second vertical scanning synchronously using two radiation sources and two detectors to produce first and second two-dimensional raw images at different angles of incidence, followed by processing a computed correction on both raw images on at least part of patient scanned height for at least overweight or obese patients to reduce cross-scattering between the first and second corrected images.
Patient specific radiation scattering representation for computed correction
The computed correction processing comprises making a patient specific modeling using patient specific data including at least one of both first and second raw images, mainly both first and second raw images, or only both first and second raw images; determining a patient specific representation of radiation scattering from the patient specific modeling; and processing the patient specific radiation scattering representation on both first and second raw images to obtain first and second corrected images.
Vertical gap with time shift between views
The method includes a vertical gap between the first source and the first detector and the second source and the second detector such that the first vertical scanning and the second vertical scanning are performed synchronously but with a time shift in between, further reducing cross-scattering between the first and second raw images.
Conditional height-localized correction based on cross-scattered-to-detected ratio
In at least overweight or obese patients, the computed correction processing is limited to determined scanned-height regions within the first and second corrected images based on at least one patient parameter representative of patient corpulence as a function of scanned patient height and a predetermined threshold based on a cross-scattered and detected ratio to total detected radiation.
Height sub-image division with under-sampled modeling and recombination
The method divides the first and second raw images into height sub-images and performs, for each sub-image, under-sampled patient specific modeling to determine an under-sampled patient specific representation of radiation scattering, then over-samples it to the same sample rate as the raw sub-image, processes it to obtain a corrected sub-image, and recombines the corrected sub-images.
Scatter cancellation using patient-specific inverse matrices from an ellipse family
The processing uses patient specific inverse matrices for scattering cancellation, where patient specific modeling corresponds to a nearest ellipse or a linear combination of nearest ellipses from a predetermined family of ellipses defined by ellipse sizes, positions, orientations, and related parameter ranges, and the correction is based on inverses of linear combinations of matrices to cancel radiation scattering.
Subtraction-based scattered-only estimation using a patient-specific scatter matrix
For each height sub-image, an under-sampled scattered sub-image corresponding to scattered only radiation is computed using a patient-specific scatter matrix; an over-sampled scattered sub-image is obtained; and the method subtracts an over-sampled scattered sub-image from the raw sub-image to obtain a corrected sub-image.
Upstream collimation tunnel upstream of each detector
Further cross-scattering reduction is achieved by placing a collimation tunnel upstream of each of the detectors to reduce cross-scattering in the first and second corrected images.
Overall, the claim set centers on synchronous stereo vertical scanning with computed correction derived from patient specific modeling of radiation scattering and applied to both raw images to reduce cross-scattering for overweight or obese patients. Dependent features further scope the correction by scanned-height region thresholds, divide images into height sub-images with under-sampling/over-sampling and recombination, support scatter cancellation via subtraction using a patient-specific scatter matrix and/or inverse matrices from an ellipse family, and optionally add upstream collimation tunnels and a vertical gap/time shift between views.
Stated Advantages
Reduce cross-scattering between the first and second corrected images for at least overweight or obese patients.
Further reduce cross-scattering by performing synchronous scans with a vertical gap/time shift between views.
Reduce cross-scattering by applying conditional, height-localized correction based on a predetermined cross-scattered-to-detected ratio threshold.
Reduce cross-scattering by computing corrected sub-images using under-sampled radiation-scattering representations followed by over-sampling and recombination.
Reduce cross-scattering by scatter cancellation using patient-specific inverse matrices.
Reduce cross-scattering by scatter cancellation based on subtraction of scattered-only estimates computed using a patient-specific scatter matrix.
Reduce cross-scattering by placing an upstream collimation tunnel upstream of each detector.
Documented Applications
Radiography of an organ of a patient, including at least overweight or obese patients, using synchronous stereo vertical scanning with computed, patient-specific scatter correction.
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